Residential amenity SPD

55 Pages·2008·4.5 MB·English

supplementary
planning document
Residential Amenity
Adopted: February 2008
Contents
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Introduction 1 Section 3:
Definition of residential amenity 1 Outer area (minimum density) 19
Objectives of the guide 1 Summary of section 19
Relevant local plan policy 1 • Privacy/outlook 19
Purpose of the guidance 2 • Private amenity space 21
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How to use this document 2 • Parking provision 22 t
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Efficient use of land 2 • Safety & security 23
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Draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the East
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Midlands (RSS8) - 2006 2 Appendices
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Inclusive design 3 A Glossary 24

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Density areas 3 B Further reading 25 a
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C Contacts list 26 t
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All areas (sections 1 - 3) 4 D Checklist of design principles 27 e
Principles that apply city wide E Private amenity standards 28 d
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Summary of section 4 F Defining the three areas 29 s
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• Daylight/sunlight 4 G A design guide for house extensions 30
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• Air quality, noise & light pollution 5 H Relevant policies in detail 43

• Visual quality 6 I Inclusive design & Lifetime Homes 47 :
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J Public consultation process 48
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Section 1: K Statement of Main Issues raised 49 S
Central area (maximum density) 7 through Public Consultation -

Summary of section 7 l
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• Privacy/outlook 7
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• Private amenity space 10 u
• Parking provision 11 o
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• Safety & security 12

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Section 2: i
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Inner urban areas (medium density) 13
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Summary of section 13 e
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• Privacy/outlook 13 s
• Private amenity space 16 e
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• Parking provision 17
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• Safety & security 18
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Introduction
This guide addresses the demand for sustainable higher density • The outer area which is primarily suburban low density
residential development whilst protecting the residential amenity
of existing and future occupiers’. It is supplementary to Policies These three area types have characteristics which require a different
H03 & PS10 of the City of Leicester Local Plan 2006. The need set of standards relating to car parking, private amenity, density, privacy,
to address amenity is important as it is linked to the quality of life visual quality, safety and security. The document has been separated into
and the well being of Leicester residents. three sections: - central area, inner urban areas and outer areas.
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Definition of residential amenity Objectives of the guide n
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In the context of the SPD, the definition of residential amenity is 1 To provide practical guidance to supplement existing development
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considered as the benefit enjoyed from physical external space plan policies on how new residential development can protect the
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which is part of the private home. The benefit enjoyed depends on amenity of both new and existing residents.

the quality of space. The level of enjoyment is also dependent on al
a number of factors, including location, size, orientation, sounds, 2 Provide guidance to encourage residential development, which i
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noise, accessibility and enclosure. Private amenity space is not protects both the built and natural environment.
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the same as public open space (see Appendix A, Glossary). d
3 To provide guidance which identifies and categorises the different si
Private amenity space allows individuals to carry out household areas of Leicester and promotes design features in accordance e
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and leisure activities. This can include gardening, drying clothes, with the development densities and character of the relevant area.

playing with children, fresh air and other hobbies. In simple terms, :
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private amenity space is often considered as space that is out- 4 To provide guidance on how parking provision can be used as a
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side or partly outside, where one can relax. Appendix E shows the proactive measure to improve residential amenity and to underpin
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general standard for providing a home with amenity space, and the use of other transport methods.
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this reflects the type of home and number of bedrooms (further l
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definitions found in Appendix A, Glossary). Relevant local plan policy c
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UD01 – High quality building design & local context u
What constitutes one persons amenity space requirement is not UD02 – Building layout, form & positioning o
necessarily another’s. It is the lifetime of the property that needs UD04 – Energy efficiency C

consideration. Therefore, provision for amenity space should be UD06 – Landscape design y
made to serve existing and future occupiers. The City can be SPA06 – Residential development in the city centre it
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characterised by three types of residential development: AM12 – Residential parking provision

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AM15 – Design of parking provision e
• The central area, which has a higher density and compact H03 – Density t
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development H06 – Housing mix and type e
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• The surrounding inner urban area and denser development H07 – Waste disposal
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along transport corridors H14 – Backland development e
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1
Introduction
H15 – House extensions proposed mix of uses
PS10 – Residential amenity & new development • The desirability of achieving high quality, well-designed housing
Please refer to Appendix H: Relevant policies in detail.
Draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the East Midlands
Purpose of the guidance (RSS8) - 2006
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The purpose of the guidance is to provide criteria to assess The draft RSS8 provides a broad development strategy for the East Mid-
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all planning applications in relation to residential amenity. Any lands up to 2021. The policies contained within the draft RSS8 are in gen- n
residential development that does not embody the principles eral accordance with this SPD and have been summarised below: e
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described without good reason is likely to be refused planning
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permission for conflicting with Policy PS10: Residential amenity Policy 1: Regional Core Objective includes:

& new development of the Adopted City of Leicester Local Plan • Promoting and enhancing the quality of the environment l
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(2006). • Make safe and attractive places to live and work i
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• Improve accessibility to jobs, homes and services across,..improve-
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How to use this document ment of opportunities for walking, cycling and the use of high quality d
The SPD emphasises the seven guiding principles which relate public transport si
to residential amenity: privacy/outlook, daylight/sunlight, private • To promote good design in development so as to achieve high e
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amenity space, parking provision, visual quality, safety & security environmental standards and optimum social benefits

and pollution. Appendix D: Checklist of design principles summa- :
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rizes the key principles of residential amenity. Policy 2: Locational Priorities encourages development plans and Local
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Development Frameworks to adapt a sequential approach to the selection
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Efficient use of land of land for development. First priority is given towards the re-use of previ-
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ously developed sites and buildings within urban areas that are or will be
As prescribed by Planning Policy Statement 3 (PPS3): Housing l
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well served by public transport. c
(para. 46), local planning authorities should develop housing poli-
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cies that consider: u
• The spatial vision and strategy for housing demand and Policy 3: Sustainability Criteria – this policy requires land for development o
to be assessed based on supporting sustainability principles as identified. C
availability of suitable land

• The current and future level and capacity of infrastructure, y
Policy 4: Promoting Better Design – this policy aims to constantly improve t
services and facilities – this includes public and private i
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the standard of design and construction. Ways to achieve this include:
amenity space, green space and open space
• A design lead approach which takes account of the local natural r
• The desirability of using land efficiently and reducing, and e
and historic character t
adapting to, the impacts of climate change s
• The current and future levels of accessibility, particularly • Design and construction that minimises energy use, improves water e
efficiency, reduced waste and pollution, incorporates renewable c
public transport accessibility
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energy technologies and sustainably sourced materials wherever e
• The characteristics of the area, including the current and
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possible
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Introduction
• Architectural design which is functional, yet which respects local Inclusive design
natural and built character Inclusive design is key to ensuring that a full range of needs is accom-
• Increased densities for new housing in line with national guidance modated (including those for disabled and older people). Appendix D &
• Access from new development to local facilities on foot, by cycle I gives more information about inclusive design and Lifetime Homes.
or by public transport
• Highway and parking design that improves both safety and the y
Density areas
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quality of public space Broadly there are three concentric density areas with residential den- ni
• Design which helps to reduce crime, supports community safety sity increasing towards the city centre. The boundaries are indicated in e
and vitality, and benefits the quality of life of local people m
image 1. Appendix F illustrates the three density areas in more detail.
• Approaches to design, layout and construction which takes A
The central area is expected to have the maximum density applied,
account of, and where appropriate provide for increases in
inner residential area along with transport corridors (with good public l
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biodiversity
transport service) would have a medium density, and the outer area i
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would use the minimum density as prescribed in Policy H03: Density
Policy 5: Concentrating Development in Urban Areas – development e
of the City of Leicester Local Plan (Adopted 2006). Consideration will
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plans, Local development Frameworks, Local Transport Plans and
also be given to applying medium density to sites located close to pub- i
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economic development strategies should locate significant levels of new
lic transport and to local facilities. e
development in built up areas centred on Leicester. R

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Policy PS10: Amenity P
Policy H03: Density Privacy/ Pollution Daylight/ Safety & Private amenity Parking Visual S
All areas outlook sunlight security space provision quality Abbey Lane Melton RoadA607 l -
Principles that apply city - Page 5 Page 4 - - - Page 6 i
wide A50Groby Road nc
Scraptoft Lane u
CHeignht rdael nasrietya Section 1 Page 5 Page 4 Section 1 Section 1 Section 1 Page 6 A47 Hinckley Road Clock Tower Uppingham RoadA47 Co
At least 50 dwellings/ha Page 7 Page 12 Page 10 Page 11
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IMAnten ldeeiaru sumtr 4bd0ae nnd swaiteryellainsgs/ha SPeacgteio 1n3 2 Page 5 Page 4 SPeacgteio 1n8 2 SPeacgteio 1n6 2 SPeacgteio 1n7 2 Page 6 A5560NarboroAu42g6h RAoylaedstone Road Welford RoadA5199 London RoadA6 KCItOnreeaunynnteetsrrpr ar oael rrsAtei drcaeeoanrrtiidaol arnd ster Cit
Outer area Central Relief Road
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Low density Section 3 Page 5 Page 4 Section 3 Section 3 Section 3 Page 6 Outer Ring Road
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City Boundary
At least 30 dwellings/ha Page 19 Page 23 Page 21 Page 22 i
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©Crown copyright. All rights reserved Leicester City Council. 100019264. 2007
Table showing the seven guiding principles and density requirements within the City. Please Image 1: map shows density areas in relation to L
note that these densities apply to sites that are 0.3 ha or larger in size. the City (see Appendix F: Defining the 3 areas)
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All areas (sections 1 - 3)
Principles that apply city wide
Summary of section
This section looks at amenity principles which will be universally
applied to all three density areas. Principles looked at within this
section include:
• Daylight/sunlight y
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• Air quality, noise and light pollution i
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• Visual quality
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Daylight/sunlight

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Consideration should be given to maximizing solar gain as Image 2: sketch showing taller buildings towards north of the site a
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referred to in UD04 Energy Efficiency of the Adopted City of to avoid blocking of sun and undue shadowing. t
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Leicester Local Plan (2006). Further advice is available in the e
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Supplementary Planning Document on Energy Efficiency and
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Renewable Energy. s
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The designer should be mindful to balance out the need to ad-

dress the public realm and at the same time to maximize solar D:
gain to habitable windows and prevent undue shadowing of P
private amenity space. Developments within the city centre area S

are likely to be higher density and it is important to consider the -

overall impact on the immediate environment and the loss of il
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daylight and sunlight to existing buildings. n
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Taller buildings can adversely affect the light to adjacent build-
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ings, and the blocking of light to the windows should be avoided.
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Sun path diagrams should be submitted with planning applica- C
tions if there is potential impact to the daylight/sunlight of adjoin-
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ing properties.
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All areas (sections 1 - 3)
Principles that apply city wide
Air quality, noise and light pollution REMEMBER - measures for noise and pollution mitigation should not
conflict with other principles of good urban design set out in this Guide.
Policy PS10 of the Adopted City of Leicester Local Plan requires plan-
Specific design to protect against noise and poor air quality may need
ning applications to consider the effect on amenity of noise and vibra-
to consider a range of features, in descending order of preference:
tion, air quality and odour, and light caused by the development and
its use. Government advice is given in PPS23 and PPG24. There is
Arrangement of buildings within the site
always the potential of nuisance from static sources of noise and pol-
This includes; appropriate distance from sources of noise and pollu- y
lution in most areas of development and amenity should therefore be
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tion. Appropriate orientation of buildings so that habitable rooms do not i
considered at the outset. n
face directly onto sources of noise and pollution. [In the case of busy e
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main roads, this may require the provision of barrier structures to sepa-
The key air quality issue in Leicester is emissions from traffic. Leices-
rate residential properties from the road.] Location of play areas near A
ter’s Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) covers frontages to the

major road network and the city centre as a whole. The AQMA in- family accommodation. al
cludes the central area, and a substantial part of the inner urban area. i
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Arrangement of habitable rooms & engineering controls n
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This includes internal layout such that habitable rooms do not face
Particular care needs to be given to the design, construction and use d
of habitable areas (principal rooms) on the lower/ground floor, where directly onto a busy road, non-residential uses on the ground/lower si
the proposed building is near to a busy road. It may be necessary to floors; recessed balconies between habitable rooms and the façade of e
the building. Engineering controls include: R
consider non-residential uses for the ground floor. Alternative uses

on lower/ground floor should not impact on the amenity of residential :
• Double/triple glazing - can be used to exclude noise. D
units above.
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• Mechanical ventilation - inlet air from sufficiently high level to
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avoid drawing in polluted air.
Considerations which apply to air quality will, in many cases, apply
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equally to noise: Where there are high levels of pollution from traf- • Party floors and walls - mix use developments should avoid l
fic, there will also tend to be high ambient noise levels, so design juxtaposition of potential noise resulting from residential use. ci
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measures that alleviate one will, to a large extent, benefit the other.
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Light
Design principles within this Guide can also be used to improve pro- o
tection from noise and/or poor air quality, giving multiple benefits:- It is now recognised that excessive or inappropriate artificial light can C
have an adverse effect on people and wildlife. It can also represent a
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Design Features Central Inner Outer waste of energy. Consideration should be given to the impacts of light- t
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ing on existing and proposed occupiers, subject to other principles of C
Set back upper floors / recessed balconies p.8 p.14 -

Internal courtyards (habitable rooms facing) p.9 p.14 - good urban design contained in this Guide (such as providing a safe r
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and secure environment).
Private amenity space (habitable rooms facing) p.10 p.16 p.21 t
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Ground floor & front area parking p.11 p.17 p.22 e
Please contact the Leicester City Council Environmental Health sec- c
Defensible space p.12 p.18 -
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tion for further or site specific advice on the matters discussed in this e
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All areas (sections 1 - 3)
Principles that apply city wide
Visual quality
Policy PS10: Residential amenity & new development of the Ad-
opted City of Leicester Local Plan 2007 refers to visual quality. In
order to maintaining tidiness the development must function well.
A key aspect of this relates to the storage of bins and residents’
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access to the bin store. At the same time the bin store must be
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both convenient for refuse collection and hidden from public i
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view. Bin stores should be of adequate size to contain all refuse e
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and recycling bins. The images on this page show examples of
how bin storage can be successfully designed into the develop- A

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Where practicable a small back of pavement area for bin col- n
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lection should also be provided. This will reduce the problem of
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bins obstructing pavements, which is a considerable concern for i
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many disabled people. Image 4: photo showing a concealed bin storage for e
flats that is accessible for refuse collection. R

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Image 3: photo showing terrace housing with gated e
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shared access to allow bins to be kept at the rear of the Image 5: photo showing town houses with semi-
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property. concealed bins accessible from the street for refuse
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collection.
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Section 1:
Central area (maximum density)
SThuis msecmtioAbbeay Lnane rfoyc uosefsM elton s RooadA60ne7 tcheti coenntr a1l area image 6 shows the abnedlo wch sahraocwtse ra o sf athfeeg buuairldd infogrs m aanidn hsetriegehttss acnadn nvaarrryo bwuetr t hsied ed isatgreraemts .
boundary in detail (also see Appendix F).
Outlook standards for fronts of properties
A50
Groby Road The central area has a varied building height ranging between average
Central area heights of 4 - 6 storeys. There is no overall set height and therefore, y
Scraptoft Lane the ratio between building height to street width should be 1:1. This will t
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allow residents to benefit from adequate outlook from principal win-
Clock Tower Uppingham Road dows. me
A47
A47 Hinckley Road A

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Image 7: sketch shows the ratio between street a
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width and the maximum building height. This is t
Narborough Road Icmolaoguere 6d: pmuarpp leshowing central area tboe etwneseunre f athcaint gth hea hbeitaigbhlet isro eoqmusa.l to the distance den
A5560 The key considerations Lfonodon Rroa dhigher density sustainable develop- The designer will be expected to take into account the sensitivity of the esi
A426Aylestone Roam••d ent aPDrera:ivyaligcyh/tWeo/lfords RouaduA5t1ln99oloigkht (seeA6 page 4) KCItnreeanynnetsrrp aroel rsAti drceeoanrrtiidaol arnd ps• hroopuolds Aablne iyn g acivdoevnnet ertsoxet: pimarptiaccutl aornly a tdoj othinei nsgtr eoer tn feroanrbtayg beusi.ld Cinognss iodfe ration SPD: R
Outer area
• Private amenity space historical and/or architectural importance and conservation -
• Parking provision Central Relief Road
areas. l
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• Visual quality (see page 6) Outer Ring Road • Adverse impact upon the architectural integrity and quality of c
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• Safety & Security
City Boundary the existing or neighbouring buildings u
• Pollution (see page 5) • The roofline and facade that is in scale with the neighbours and o
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does not dominate the street and undermine the rhythm of the
©Crown copyright. All rights reserved Leicester City Council. 100019264. 2007
Privacy/outlook street frontage y
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Compact developments will affect outlook for habitable rooms C
and therefore the following safeguards should be considered to
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protect privacy/outlook. e
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One effective measure to protect residents from poor privacy/
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outlook is to ensure the development has an adequate height to i
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width ratio. This is often referred to as enclosure. Street widths L
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Section 1:
Central area (maximum density)
Outlook standards for rear & sides of properties
Recessed balconies
Habitable room windows facing onto a wall should have a set
A recessed balcony with at least a metre depth can provide a buffer
minimum distance to avoid poor quality of outlook. Although, it
between habitable room windows and the adjacent windows/wall.
is recommended that the street width to building height is a ratio
of 1:1. However in some circumstances this distance could be
shorter providing that there is no undue loss of outlook/privacy.
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Below are some examples of exceptional cases:
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Exceptional cases for shorter distances at rear
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By using one or more of the following techniques It may be pos-
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sible to increase the building height by using:

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• Set back of upper floors t
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• Recessed balconies e
• Internal courtyards d
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• Screening direct facing windows for habitable rooms s
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• Avoid direct facing habitable windows
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Applicants should demonstrate that outlook/privacy has been :
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Recessed balconies
safeguarded, and that the design quality is not compromised and P
the local context has been taken into account. S

Image 9: sketch shows how balconies can help provide protection from -

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Set backs of upper floors the loss of privacy and at the same time provide some private amenity i
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Set backs of upper floors can increase the allowable building space. n
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height and in turn improve outlook for occupiers. This would also
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improve the amenity at lower levels as it would allow for more
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daylight and possibly reduce shadowing. However, this also
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would depend on orientation, as a taller south facing building
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would overshadow a north facing building. C

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Image 8: sketch showing set back of s
the upper floor levels. e
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